TNG's Physical and Social AI-Robot’s First Job Interview

Today, TNG’s physical AI-robot, Tengai, independently conducted a job interview with a candidate. TNG specializes in unbiased and fair recruitment and is one of Sweden’s most established staffing and recruitment agencies. Now offering Tengai Select as a recruitment solution, where the social interview robot Tengai is integrated as an objective assessment tool for recruiters and hiring managers.

After months of programming the physical AI-robot, TNG officially launched Tengai as an in-house product called Tengai Select, in May of 2019. Together with Furhat Robotics, TNG developed the social AI-robot to assist recruiters and hiring managers with objective interview analytics to assess soft skills and personality skills. Just one week after the launch, the Swedish municipality Upplands-Bro decided to use TNG’s new recruitment offer to find a new digital coordinator. 

With Tengai Select, the interview robot is integrated as a part of the initial interview phase and conducts blind interviews that measure soft skills and personality traits. Creating a fair selection process where all applicants get the same competence based questions and treatment. It will also make it possible for more candidates to be interviewed.

The first robot interview for TNG client Upplands-Bro municipality

Tengai’s blind interviews take place in an intimate interview room at TNG’s HQ in Stockholm, Sweden. The first official interview was conducted at 8:30 am on June 14^th and robot trainer Sinisa Strbac was very satisfied with Tengai’s performance.

“I have learned so much programming and developing Tengai and it's been exciting to get a deeper understanding of how people interact with each other and then learning how to transfer that knowledge to Tengai. The candidate feedback we got during trial interviews was very positive and the first official interview with Tengai got the same positive response. Everything went according to plan this morning and the first interview was a success!" - Sinisa Strbac, Robot trainer at Tengai Unbiased

TNG’s Chief Innovation Officer, Elin Öberg Mårtenzon, is also feeling positive with how the first robot interview went and that the public sector is the first client to try Tengai Select.

"I have worked with Tengai for several months and I know how great the product is, but it needs an innovative client to see the potential. I am impressed by Upplands-Bro for taking the lead and being the first in the world who have decided to use a social AI-robot in the hiring process. I am especially pleased to see the public sector as our first client and I can’t wait to follow the development as we move toward a recruitment process where artificial intelligence helps us be objective and fair!" - Elin Öberg Mårtenzon, Chief Innovation Officer at TNG

Tengai Select – How does it work?

It starts with a candidate answering screening questions and submitting a job application through TNG’s website. After that, the job seeker needs to complete personality and skill -based tests, that are specifically designed for the position. TNG then conduct a quality check and select the candidates who have test results, screening questions and a resume that matches the desirable competencies. Selected applicants are then invited to a blind interview with Tengai. All job interviews with the AI-robot are transcribed.

After the interview with Tengai, TNG recruiters make an assessment based on all the objective data collected and present a qualitative candidate selection to the client. With client approval, the final candidates are invited to personal interviews to identify motivation and ambition.